Friday 2 April 2021

So long and thanks for all the fish

For so many reason (the provider, the platform, the hassle with the owner not letting me log in without demanding all my personal information, etc.) I will not be using this page any more.

Everything will continue for me, just not here. You can find me at my Wordpress account instead.

I think I've shifted everything over there so while it is sad that this place is just going to sit here and gather dust, at the same time, I'm not sad at all.

This is Soupdragon, last surviving member of the blog team, signing off Google services.

Saturday 9 January 2021

Discord

Finally got on Discord and joined a server today. I know everyone else has been using them for years but I’ve only just found a reason to - or thought I did.

Back in the day we had newsgroups, then chat rooms, then all that went away as social media giants like Facebook took hold. What was the point of a private chat room when people could put their opinions and dis/likes on Facebook and everyone who knew them (and then everyone that didn’t) could just jump in anyway?

Now it’s come full circle, with invitation-only chat rooms - with added voice, video and jukebox functions - making a big comeback. Share your screen to show you gaming, working, watch-alongs. Chat and video-chat. Type messages and add gifs, images and links. Whatever you want is now in your private chat room once again - and it’s only who you invite.

So today I got an invitation to one and I joined Discord just so I could get in. A 5-minute process that led me down a rabbit hole of fun, frolics and camaraderie the likes of which I haven’t experienced since the Supernatural fandom Hell Bus years, or the Farscape Wormhole Watch years.

Totally worth it. An early bleak, freezing Saturday afternoon became a laugh riot and adrenaline rush as we exchanged our best screenshots, got in our best jokes, welcomed all the fellow noobs and established personalities. A brilliant time was had by all, I think.

The only downside to this is the time zone clash, but obviously that was always going to be a problem and there’s nothing you can do about it. But it means that when I wake up at 6am because I’m bored, now I’ll have a reason to log in and see what everyone else is up to. I’m not saying I need a reason to get out of bed these days (even for work) but I pretty much need a reason to get out of bed these days.

But hey, today was a highlight and I’m so glad I accepted that invitation to the server. Sometimes exploring is more than you’d hoped for.

Soopytwist.

Monday 28 December 2020